Bag distending machine

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED BAGGING MACHINE IS PROVIDED IN WHICH A STACK OF FLAT CELLOPHANE OR POLYETHYLENE BAGS, OR THE LIKE, ARE CLAMPED BY THEIR LIP PORTIONS WHICH ARE PROVIDED ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF EACH BAG, AND IN WHICH A STREAM OF PRESSURIZED FLUID IS DIRECTED ACROSS THE LIP PORTION OF THE UPPERMOST BAG IN THE STACK TO DISTEND THAT BAG SO THAT IT MAY EASILY BE FILLED WITH MERCHANDISE. AFTER IT IS FILLED, THE UPPERMOST BAG MAY CONVENIENTLY BE REMOVED FROM THE STACK BY TEARING IT ALONG PERFORATIONS WHICH ARE PROVIDED ACROSS ITS LIP PORTION, FOR EXAMPLE, SO AS TO RE-   MOVE THE BAG FROM THE LIP PORTION THEREOF WHICH IS CLAMPED IN THE MACHINE.

Feb. 2, 1971 c. BYINGTON ET AL 3,559,370

" BAG DISTENDING MACHINE Y Filed Aug. 26. 1968 1 N VEN TOR. dr/lvralv glue: 434 42050 um 77 W xrrm Ali)? Patented Feb. 2., 1971 3,559,370 BAG DISTENDING MACHINE A. C. Byington, West Los Angeles, and Elmer R. Richardson, Fountain Valley, Calif., assignors to Quality Poultry Co., Inc., Culver City, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 755,064 Int. Cl. B65b 43/36 US. Cl. 53385 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved bagging machine is provided in which a stack of flat cellophane or polyethylene bags, or the like, are clamped by their lip portions which are provided adjacent the open end of each bag, and in which a stream of pressurized fluid is directed across the lip portion of the uppermost bag in the stack to distend that bag so that it may easily be filled with merchandise. After it is filled, the uppermost bag may conveniently be removed from the stack by tearing it along perforations which are provided across its lip portion, for example, so as to remove the bag from the lip portion thereof which is clamped in the machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of pressurized air streams to distend bags in bagging operations, so that they may more easily be filled with merchandise, is well known. This expedient has been used in the past, for example, in machines for bagging popsicles, and the like, for packaging mens shirts, bread, and other merchandise; and the expedient has also been used in more elaborate machines for opening, filling and sealing cellophane bags, and the like.

The improved bagging machines of the present invention provides a simple and expeditious means, which avoids the complications of the prior art mechanisms, and by which a stack of flat bags may be conveniently clamped, and individually opened, for individual loading and removal.

The bagging machine of the invention has been used successfully for bagging poultry. However, it will become evident as the description proceeds, that the machine of the invention has general utility in any operation in which merchandise is to be quickly and conveniently loaded into bags, for example, of the cellophane or polyethylene type, which are normally flat and somewhat difiicult to open.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the improved bagging machine of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bagging machine of FIG. 1 taken from the front and above the machine;

FIG. 3 shows a component of the machine; and FIG. 4 is a stack of polyethylene bags, of the type which may be used to advantage in conjunction with the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT under the tray 10, and the blower is driven, for example, by means of an electric motor 22.

The pressurized fluid from the blower passes through a conduit 24 and through an orifice 26 at the upper end of the tray 10. A deflector and guide 28 is mounted on the end of the cutting table 16 and it extends into the tray 10, as shown, across the orifice 26. The deflector 28 is supported up from the orifice by a wire bracket 29.

The pressurized fluid from the blower 20, emerging from the orifice 26 passes into a plenum chamber formed by the bottom of the tray 10 and by the deflector 28, so that a stream of pressurized air is directed by the deflector down into the tray 10. The stack of bags 12 is supported in the tray 10 by means, for example, of an arcuate clamping strip 30. The arcuate strip 30 is pivoted at one of its ends to one side of the tray 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The strip may be turned down into the tray and across a protruding lip portion 12a of the uppermost bag of the stack 12, and corresponding protruding lip portions of the other bags in the stack, to hold the bags in the tray. The clamping strip 30 may be held in place by an appropriate clasp 32 on the other side of the tray.

The pressurized fluid directed into the tray 10 by the deflector 28 passes across the top of the clamping strip 30 and into the open end of the uppermost bag of the stack 12 so that the upper-most bag becomes distended. The merchandise may then conveniently be loaded into the uppermost bag by sliding it down the deflector 28. After the uppermost bag has been filled, it may be removed from the stack merely by tearing it from its corresponding protruding lip portion 12a. Suitable perforations may be provided across the bag for this purpose. The operaiton may then be repeated for the next bag which then becomes the uppermost bag in the stack.

When all the bags in the stack 12 have been filled, the clamping strip 30 may be opened out to the position shown in FIG. 3, and a new stack of bags placed into the tray 14 and then clamped in place by the clamping strip 30.

A suitable shield 50 may be mounted across the uppermost end of the tray 10 as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. This shield may serve as a guide in loading merchandise into the uppermost bag in the tray. It may be turned back out of the way, when the strip 30 is opened out to the position shown in FIG. 3.

The invention provides, therefore, a simple mechanism by which a stack of bags may be supported in an inclined position, for convenient gravitational loading. The improved mechanism of the invention provides a simple means. for distending the uppermost bag in the stack by a stream of pressurized fluid, such as compressed air, which is directed along the top surface of the uppermost bag. The uppermost bag may be conveniently removed from the stack when it is filled, by tearing it away from the clamping strip 30, as described. In addition to its simplicity, the improved mechanism of the invention is advantageous in that it can be constructed to be easily disassembled for cleaning purposes. Also, the clamping strip is mounted in a manner such that a new set of bags can quickly and easily be placed in the tray 10 when the existing stack has been used.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended by the following claims to cover all modifications which come within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a bagging machine, the combination of:

a tray configured to hold a stack of bags to be individually loaded, each of said bags having an open end and a protruding lip portion adjacent said open end;

clamping means mounted in said tray and positioned to extend across the protruding lip portions of the aforesaid bags to hold the bags in a stacked condition in said tray and to permit the uppermost bag in the stack to be torn away from its corresponding lip portion, said clamping means including a strip pivotally mounted at one end to said tray, and fastener means on said tray for releasably engaging the other end of said strip to hold said strip in a clamping position across the aforesaid lip portions of said bag; and

blower means for introducing a stream of pressurized fluid along the top surface of the uppermost bag and into the open end of the uppermost bag of said stack so as to cause the uppermost bag to become distended.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, and which includes deflecting means positioned adjacent said clamping means for directing said stream of pressurized fluid from said blower means across said clamping means and into the open end of the uppermost bag of the stack.

3. The combination defined in claim 1, and which includes support means for said tray for positioning said tray in an inclined position with said clamping means at the uppermost end thereof.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, in which said tray has an arcuate-shaped bottom, and said clamping strip likewise is arcuate-shaped.

References Cited UNITED TRAVIS S. McGEHEE, Primary Examiner 

